When Patty Met Cupcake
by Nftnat
Summary: It's two years later, & Patty has gotten closer to Harold; but there's another love in his life that she doesn't know about, until today.
1. Default Chapter

Well, here's my next fanfic. Thank you to JT, jodylovesanimals, SparrowPatil, & Athalia for their reviews for Complicated. This one is admittedly not as good; oh well. It's in two parts, & this part is all exposition so as to give some background for Part 2, which is in the works. Thanks again for your reviews, & I hope for more of the same.   
  
It had been over two years since Rhonda's party, & since the arm wrestling match. Harold & Patty had reached an understanding, & then some. They were friends, good friends. Being a few years older than the rest of the gang, they were significantly more mature. Well, Harold wasn't at first, but over the years Patty had been good for him. Oh, he was still one of the top three bullies (Helga & Patty being the other two) & crybabies in PS118, but around her he was a different person, more mellow, although if you brought it up around him he'd pound you. Harold never said anything about it in public, but it was understood around school that the two of them were an item. No one commented about it though, certainly not to their faces. Would you knowingly run the risk of incurring the wrath of Harold AND Big Patty? Not even Helga was that brave, not after her previous run-ins and subsequent understanding with Big Patty. So no one said anything, leaving Harold & Patty to continue & develop their friendship. And develop it did, growing over the months & months despite their increasingly hectic schedules. Their lives by now have become quite busy. For Harold, it was due to increasing proficiency in the butcher trade; by now Mr. Green was having him work at the shop three days a week. Surprisingly, Harold's interest in his studies also picked up. After the aptitude test mix-up, he decided to continue the interest he'd found in architecture to find that he actually had talent in that area. Sometimes Harold wouldn't show up at Gerald field all week, so full was his plate. As for Patty, her friendship with Rhonda resulted in a uptake in her social life. And it didn't hurt said social life when people started to notice that when she wasn't beating people up, she could be quite a well-mannered young lady. Her interest in music also increased; she still played accordion & was learning to transfer what she knew there to other keyboard instruments. Already she had surprised a couple of Rhonda's parties --- but not Rhonda herself --- with a mini-concert. Yes, both Harold & Patty were very busy indeed. And yet, no matter how crowded their respective schedules got, they always found time for each other. They were often found at each other's houses, & each was quite familiar to the parents of the other. Patty had even accompanied Harold's family to synagogue on a Sabbath or two, where she quietly charmed Rabbi Goldberg as she had Jerry & Marilyn Berman. The rabbi took note of the good effect that being around her had had on 'Chaim'.   
But make no mistake, in & around school they were still bullies, and woe to the unfortunate soul who crosses either of them. Bad enough separately, together they were a force. They could take on an army, & did too, that time they tangled with Wolfgang & his entire mob. They won too, thanks to Torvald. But that's another story. It would have been dark days indeed for PS 118 if Patty was more hostile, or if she wasn't in the junior high part of school by now. Yes, Harold & Patty were close. But as close as they were, there was one thing about Harold Patty didn't know, someting she was about to find out.   
  
  
  
"There! That's the last of the cruddy exposition; thank you very much." --- Roddy McStew, The Wrath of Gutierrez, Freakazoid. The real story is in Part 2. Please feel free to review. Thank y'all. 


	2. 

Here it is. I finally finished the actual events of my Harold & Patty story. I hope you like it, but whether you like it or not I hope you read & review.   
  
I noticed I failed to include the disclaimer with the first part, so: Hey Arnold! is created, owned, & / or copyrighted by Craig Bartlett, Snee-Oosh, & / Nickelodeon; which in turn is owned by Viacom.   
  
  
It was a typical day in Hillwood. Arnold was still being a paragon, Helga was still silently torturing herself, Gerald was still telling urban legends, Eugene was still having mishaps. And at the Berman house, Harold & Patty were spending a rare afternoon off from both their schedules, just goofing around. That is, until...   
"Oh, my gosh! I just remembered!" With that, Harold was up & running. Leaving Patty somewhat puzzled.   
"Harold?"   
"Huh? What is it, Patty?"  
"That's what I'd like to know."   
"You're confusing me."   
"What's going on, Harold?"   
"I forgot about Cupcake! And I'm late."   
*Cupcake?*, thought Patty; but before she could ask her next question Harold was already downstairs, asking his father if he could borrow the car while silently counting the days until he saved up enough money from his job at Mr. Green's to buy that clunker he'd had his eye on since before he got his license.   
"Of course, son." Jerry responded, being by now familiar with his son's schedule. Marilyn, however, had other ideas.   
"Harold, what about your guest?"   
"Huh? Oh, yeah!" Harold turned to face Patty, who by now had joined him downstairs. "Hey, Patty, do you wanna come with? It's about time you met Cupcake."   
"I,... guess." Patty didn't know what else to say; her mind was still trying to process 'Cupcake', someone apparently very inportant in Harold's life which he had kept a secret from her all this time. She really didn't know what to think; she was going on autopilot, to borrow a phrase from aviation.   
Five minutes later, she found herself in the passenger side of Harold's father's car, a position which had become familiar to her since Harold's 16th birthday. The trip she was going on, however, was not familiar to her at all. As Harold drove, Patty noticed the houses that they passed were getting a bit nicer. She thought she recognized one block they passed. Then it occurred to her, a thought she had to put into words.   
"Is it Rhonda?"   
"What?" Harold had been concentrating on where he was going, & Patty's question had come out of nowhere. He didn't even really know what she was saying, other than that it was something about Rhonda?   
"Is Rhonda Cupcake?" Patty had heard that Rhonda liked Harold, or vice versa; and was concerned about what one of her best friends & what amounted to her boyfriend might be doing behind her back.   
"Rhonda?!? Whatever gave you that idea?"   
"Well,"   
"No, Rhonda is not Cupcake; why would you think that?"   
"Well, I'd heard that you liked Rhonda, and..."   
"Patty, I do not like Rhonda! She thought I did once, at a Cheese Festival, & I brought it up when we did that egg project, but come on! Arnold & Helga have more in common than me & the princess! I can't stand all that girly fashion talk!"   
Comparing this situation to Arnold & Helga didn't exactly boost Patty's confidence, given what she suspected about those two. "So who is Cupcake?"   
"Oh, you'll like Cupcake! I've known him since, well, three years ago I guess. He even lived with me until that mean old lady took him away from me. But she lets me hang out with him sometimes."   
*Him?* Now Patty's mind was really reeling. Was Harold-- She never would have thought-- But why was he--   
But all further questions would have to wait, as she noticed the car was now in the process of parking in front of a big old purple house. She recognized it; it was just a block over from the school. Harold exited the car, then walked around to open the door for Patty; she had civilized him that much.   
"Now like I said, there's a mean old lady that lives here. But I gotta deal with her if I wanna see Cupacke." he said.   
"But what is Cupcake to you?"   
"Aw, you'll know in a minute. Just you wait, you'll like Cupcake." By the time he finished talking, he was knocking on the front door of the mansion.   
The door opened, revealing what mean kids would call a 'hatchet-face'. Her sour expression didn't go away when she saw Harold.   
"Oh, it's you. Well, don't just stand there; you know how Thurston hates to be kept waiting. You're late, I hope you know."   
"Yes, maaaaam!" Harold whined.   
During this conversation the woman had been shooing Harold inside. That done, her hand went to the knob to close the door with its customary THUD! But mid-swing, her eyes fell on Patty, still in front of the door but to the side, which is why she hadn't seen her earlier. "Yes?"   
Patty figured this would be a good time to try her biggest smile, which had the effect of increasing the curve of her mouth by 15 degrees. "Ma'am, maybe I shouldn't be here; my name is Patty & I came with Harold--"   
"HAROLD!" the woman immediately exclaimed. "Get back here, right now!"   
After a few seconds a booming sound could be heard, signalling Harold's fast arrival. "Yeah, whadda ya-- oh, Patty! I forgot--"   
"Your friend seems to have better manners than you do, although that's not saying much. Now are you going to introduce us?"   
"Mrs. Ryle, this is my friend Patty Smith. I asked her if she'd like to meet Cupcake."   
"If that would be alright, ma'am." Patty offered.   
"Well," Mrs. Ryle considered, "You seem to be a polite young lady."   
"She graduated second from that Parvenu school. She would've been valedictorian if she hadn't taught Rhonda some manners."   
"Well! Such a person is welcome in this house anytime; I'll even overlook the fact that she's a friend of yours." she added.   
"AAAHHHH!!!! Come on, Patty." said Harold, saying under his breath as they left the room, "Mean old lady."   
Mrs. Ryle evidently guessed what Harold was muttering, for just before she was out of earshot she called after him, "Rotten kid!"   
It occurred to Patty, from the way the two insulted each other, that they were used to it and were probably not even serious. Two people who had become used to each other, had even come to like each other, yet didn't want to express how they really felt? It was possible, thought Patty; with what she suspected about Helga for instance, it was very possible.   
But there was another matter on her mind. "Are you going to tell me about Cupcake?"   
"You're about to meet him. Cupcake?"   
He opened a door to another room as he said this, the stepped through the doorway, continuing to call, "Cupcake! Cuuu--" his voice came to an abrupt halt as a brown & white tom cat descended on his head, claws slightly out. Harold was taken by surprise & toppled onto the floor.   
Patty was about to go to his aid when she noticed Harold seemed to be enjoying the rough treatment he was getting. Also, the cat wasn't really clawing him, at least not severely, not enough to draw blood.   
And now Harold started laughing! The cat by now was crawling over his face, then turning around on his chest so as to look him in the face, slightly tickling him with its scratches the whole while. A hiss erupted.   
"Awww, I'm sorry, Cupcake! It won't happen again, I promise." Harold responded. Then, well, let's just say that this time he didn't forget Patty. He picked up the cat by the scruff of the neck, then cradled it in one arm, reaching out the other one for Patty to help him up.   
"Patty, meet Cupcake. He's my pet, kind of. He's the best pet a kid can have." Then he turned to the bundle of brown & white. "Cupcake, this is my friend Patty. She's okkay for a girl. She nice, too, unless you cross her. But you won't cross her."   
Back to Patty. "Would you like to hold him?" Patty hesitated. "Oh, don't worry about what you saw. He only does that to me when I'm late or something. I guess he's nice unless crossed too, only he doesn't do his business in a broom closet." He then added in a lower tone of voice, "He does that in a litter box." Then back to his original tone. " I told him you're alright so he'll like you." As if to confirm Harold's words, Cupcake meowed encouragingly.   
"Well, okkay." Patty said, reaching out her hands for the cat, who jumped into her arms. Most kids would have buckled their arms momentarily, but Patty Smith wasn't most kids; she was tough. Instead of her arms sagging under the sudden weight, they just pulled Cupcake in toward Patty's face. Cupcake meowed at her, then stuck a paw out, touching her face. Just like that, they bonded.   
"See? Told ya Cupcake would like you." beamed Harold. Now the two sensate loves of his life had finally met, he found himself wondering why he hadn't introduced them long ago.   
And so the tone for the afternoon was set as Cupcake got acquainted with Patty & reacquainted with Harold. Later Mrs. Ryle brought up some milk & cookies for the teenagers. She engaged Patty in conversation, which both parties evidently enjoyed. Add one to the list of grownups Patty had quietly charmed. Mrs. Ryle also spoke with Harold, briefly, but just enough so they could say they had spoken, not that either one would have been inclined to brag about it. But Patty still wasn't convinced that the two hated each other.   
The afternoon passed all too quickly, & a few hours later Harold was driving Patty home. About halfway there, she broke the ice about their afternoon.   
"Thanks."   
"Huh?"   
"For introducing me to them."   
"Oh yeah. Cupcake is great, isn't he?"   
"Yes. I'm glad he likes me."   
"Well, why wouldn't he? You're a great girl." Patty smiled. "Sorry about Mrs. Ryle."   
"I didn't mind."   
"I guess she's not bad, for a mean old lady."   
Patty went silent for the next half a minute, then she smiled again. "If she's a mean old lady, then you're a rotten kid."   
"Huh?"   
"Never mind." Patty then turned her gaze out the window. But she didn't focus on the scenery; her mind was elsewhere. She was smiling, not as big a smile as the one she gave Mrs. Ryle, & not anywhere near the size of the one inside. Harold had finally opened another part of his world to her, bringing them that much closer. The future would be very interesting.   
  
  
  
And so it ends. But they'll be back, just not in starring roles. The next thing I put up wil be the beginning of an epic I've been mentally planning for months. Here's a hint: what would happen if some of the people who knew Helga's secret got together & did something about it? This won't be starring Arnold or Helga --- partially because those Helga soliloquies constitute one part of HA! fanfic I've yet to master. Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind learning that. Anyway, this epic will star a certain character who has built something of a cult following here on ff.n . Who? Well, I'm thinking the first to figure it out will be Yardbird9; have I said too much? Probably. But the first part will be here sometime next week, so be ready. And again, please read & review this. Thank y'all. 


End file.
